Kenya: Another attack by the extremist Islamic group Shabab

(Baonghean.vn) - On Saturday, December 20, 10 armed men claiming to be members of the Shabab extremist group opened fire on a bus traveling along the Kenyan coast. Local authorities said there were no casualties in the attack but the attackers escaped.

According to witnesses, the attackers surrounded the bus and opened fire, forcing it to stop. Before leaving the scene, three of the attackers identified themselves as Mujahideen fighters from the Shabab organization. The bus was attacked at 4 p.m. (local time), carrying 50 passengers from Mombasa to Lama, located 100 kilometers from the Somali border and about 50 kilometers from the town of Witu. The location of this attack is known to be not far from the location of a bus bombing in July by the extremist Islamic group Shabab, which killed 7 passengers on board.

On a road along the Kenyan coast, self-proclaimed Mujahideen fighters opened fire on a bus on December 20. Photo: AFP/Simon Maina

In June and July, the al-Qaeda-linked Shabab Islamist extremist group claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on villages and vehicles in the region. Kenyan authorities estimate that about 100 people have been killed in Shabab attacks. In late November and early December, Shabab also claimed responsibility for two attacks in the border region of Mandera (northeast of Kenya), killing 28 passengers on a bus and 36 workers at a stone quarry.

Since October 2011, when the Kenyan government sent troops to the southern Somali battlefield, Somali Islamists have stepped up a series of attacks that have left many people dead in Kenya. The Kenyan government is currently facing criticism from the public for failing to prevent the threat from the Shabab Islamist extremist group. Finally, under pressure from the public, in early December, President Uhuru Kenyatta had to fire the country's Interior Minister and Police Chief.

Saturday’s attack came just days after Kenya passed a controversial security law. President Kenyatta said the law was necessary to help Kenya fight the threat of terrorism. But the opposition and human rights advocates say the law’s provisions undermine basic freedoms.

Chu Thanh– according to LeMonde December 20